Sport: PNG Hunters eye second place

The Papua New Guinea Hunters rugby league team can climb to second on the Queensland Cup ladder with victory in Redcliffe tomorrow afternoon.

Despite coming off a bye week, the Hunters have arrived in Brisbane somewhat depleted, with halfback Watson Boas ruled out with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee.

They've also been forced to reshuffle their starting front row.

The Hunters are unbeaten at home this season but have struggled on the road, losing four straight until a resounding 40-10 thumping of Tweed Heads two weeks ago.

Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League CEO Bob Cutmore said it was an important match in the wider playoffs picture.

"Two plays three on the ladder so it's going to be a really important game for us and it will be tough - we've lost our halfback Watson Boas...so we've had to have a bit of a reshuffle of our team - but we've come down here confident so it'll be a good game and I it's going to be a big game for Redcliffe too, I think they've got their big junior day on and a bit of fanfare with their new grandstand at the stadium."

League leaders Burleigh face the fourth-placed Townsville this afternoon in another big encounter.

Bob Cutmore said with seven weeks remaining in the regular season, the contest for a playoffs spot and home ground advantage was heating up.

"Everyone during the season has had a couple of weeks down and we've had a couple of injuries and I think we showed a bit of form in our last game - the second half against Tweed Heads Seagulls - so hopefully we're finding form, it's good to lose a bit of form in the mid-season instead of the end of the season and the draw really suits us now because we don't have too much travel."

"We have this week away then we've got a game in Cairns and Townsville and then we've got four home games so that will work to our advantage as well," he said.

Tomorrow's will be broadcast live on TV in Australia, while the Hunters defeated the Dolphins by four points when the teams met in Port Moresby back in May.